Dwyane Wade Told Us Why He Wears Glasses With No Lenses

With an arsenal of plaid suits, lens-less glasses, and pink
pants, Dwyane Wade is on the front lines of the NBA fashion wars.

He was in New York City last night to talk on an ESPN The Magazine panel about the fashion
and sports, and we had a chance to ask him some questions.

He talked about how style has changed since he came into the
league, and how he and his wife have similar-looking closets
these days.

We also asked him about the biggest mystery in NBA fashion today:
Why the heck do players wear glasses without lenses?

His answer: "Just something to do."

The mystery continues.

Here's our fashion Q&A with D-Wade:

Logistical question: When you get done with a game and
you get back to your locker, is there an outfit there waiting for
you? Do you bring it to the arena?

For home games, I bring my clothes to the arena. I bring two
different outfits that I can pick after the game. Road game, I
got to wear what I walk in with.

Have you ever walked in after a game and said, “It’s too
exhausting. I’d rather just put on sweats and get out of
here?”

Yes. Especially when you have to get on a plane and travel back
two and a half hours. You’re like, “Man let me throw on some
sweats and be comfortable.” But sometimes you’re like, you know
what, I have to go out the way I came in.

I follow you on Instagram and Twitter. And even when you take Instagram shots
of yourself you’re always dressed really nice. Is there any time
in your life when you just dress down?

I’m an athlete, so I can dress down with the best of them. I can
throw on t-shirts and sweats with the best of them.

Do you wake up in the morning and say, “I’m not going to
be in public today, I’m going to dress like this?”

Most days I am in public. If I go to the store, with social
media, I’m in public. It might as well be a press conference. So
I understand that one thing I do have is I have ability now to be
fashionable and still be an athlete. If I’m photographed in
sweats and a t-shirt, I’m an athlete. So it works either way.

How have style and fashion changed since you came into
the league?

There’s more risk. When I first came in guys were wearing these
things called walkers. They weren’t even suits, they were these
walker suits. I look back at that now I just cringe and say, “Oh
my god I had those.” I had on them black, green, gray, I had
solid, basic colors. Now you go in my closet, if you look on my
side of my closet and my lady’s side of the closet, it’s not that
far off. She got orange pants, I got orange pants. She got pink
pants, I got pink pants.

Just in terms of your color palette?

The color palette changed so much. Like I said, it can be
something simple as my stylist might lay out an all-black suit
and say, “Wear that.” Or she might lay something next to it and
say, “Or you can wear the black jacket and you can throw on these
color pants.” And I’m like, “I’m gonna go with them color pants
with the black jacket.” Just to throw it off a little bit.

Why the glasses with no lenses?

Just something to do.

Just something to do?

Just something to do.

What do you think of my style tonight?

I think your style is you. And that’s great.

[This interview was lightly edited for style and
length.]

ESPN
The Magazine's "Style and Sports" panelDiane Bondareff/Invision for ESPN The
Magazine